Young Herons showcase their potential on international duty | OneFootball

Inter Miami continues to develop international-quality prospects

Despite not winning the CONCACAF U20 Championship, the U.S. team did clinch a berth in next year's FIFA U20 World Cup last week by reaching the tournament's final.

Inter Miami CF players Santi Morales and Alexander Shaw played for the Yanks, who lost the final 2-0 to Mexico -- flipping the "dos a cero" script from famous U.S. victories over El Tri in the early 2000s.

Santiago Morales -- "Santi," 20, is the son of former Inter Miami assistant coach Javier Morales, who played for Real Salt Lake between 2007-2016. Santiago, who was born in Spain, began his youth career in the FC Dallas system while his dad was a coach with the team. A center midfielder, Santi helped Inter Miami win the MLS Next Pro U15 championship in 2022 and signed as a homegrown player with the first team in September 2023. His contract runs through 2027 with an option for 2028. Morales scored a goal in the United States' 3-0 group-stage win against Haiti.

Alexander Shaw -- Shaw, 18, played almost 300 minutes spread across all six of the Yanks' matches in Mexico and had one of the U.S.' five goals in a shutout of Cuba in the group stage. Also a midfielder, Shaw was born in Orlando. He signed a first-team contract in March after playing for Inter Miami II in 2026. His contract expires in December, with options for the 2027 sprint season ending in June and the 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons.

Inter Miami Academy players Cai McLean (Jamaica) and Kendry Villafuerte (Honduras) also played in the competition.

It's way to early to declare any of these players the future face of the franchise, but it is encouraging that they have the attention of their national teams. Shaw, especially, has caught my eye in the small sample size I've seen. It'll be interesting to see how these guys continue to develop.